Indiana University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D.

10/29/2025

Applications are open for the 2026 Indiana MSTP Undergraduate Summer Research Program! 🔬
9-week paid program for undergrads exploring the physician-scientist path.

✨ What’s included:
✅ Biomedical research with IUSM faculty
✅ Weekly physician shadowing
✅ Career development workshops
💰 $5,000 stipend
🏠 Housing for non-Indy students

Know someone passionate about science + medicine? Encourage them to apply!

🔗 Details & apply: https://medicine.iu.edu/summermstp

09/26/2025

🎉 A trifecta of MD-PhD excellence!

Congrats to IU MD-PhD alums Shannon Hawkins & Christopher Newman, and MSTP Associate Director Brian DeBosch on receiving Engineering in Medicine pilot grants!

Their projects are transforming care through:
✨ AI-powered fertility monitoring (VITAL)
✨ Imaging biomarkers for adolescent musculoskeletal health
✨ MRI modeling for juvenile ACL injuries

Proud to see IU MSTP leaders and alumni shaping the future of medicine through interdisciplinary research!

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09/15/2025

Proud to see Cristie Contreras Burrola, Indiana MSTP MS3, featured in IU School of Medicine’s blog! Her journey through adversity and unwavering commitment to physician-scientist training is a powerful reminder of the strength and perseverance within our community.

Cristie Contreras Burrola, born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is in her third year of the Medical Scientist Training Program after attending MIT and Oxford.

09/10/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Andreia Alexander, MD, PhD MPH (Class of 2014) 🎉

We’re proud to announce that Dr. Alexander has received the Indiana MSTP Alumni Achievement Award, voted on by current MSTP students in recognition of her outstanding advocacy in academic medicine.

As an alumna who continues to lead with purpose, Dr. Alexander returned to speak with our community about why and how to be an advocate in the public sphere.

Her message was clear and empowering - We all have the knowledge to be advocates—and the responsibility to amplify the reach of research.
Her work in reproductive health disparities and academic leadership continues to inspire the next generation of physician-scientists to use their voices beyond the lab and clinic.

Thank you, Dr. Alexander, for showing us what it means to lead with impact. 💥

09/09/2025

Congratulations to Gloria Xue, MSTP GS3, at IU School of Medicine, on her appointment to the AAMC Board of Directors as the national medical student representative. Gloria will be the only student serving on the board, representing learners from all 165 accredited U.S. medical schools.

Her two-year term begins November 5, 2025, and she will help shape national conversations around medical education, research funding, and student loan pathways. Gloria currently serves as national chair of the AAMC Organization of Student Representatives and played a key role in IU’s reaccreditation process. Her research on the financial impact of the Student Outreach Clinic is already helping improve care delivery.

Gloria is a future physician-scientist focused on dermatologic cancers and a passionate advocate for student voices. We’re proud to see her leadership recognized on a national level.

IU School of Medicine student Gloria Xue will serve a two-year term on the Association of American Medical Colleges Board of Directors, representing medical students nationwide.

08/28/2025

🎉 Welcome Joshua Sexton, MSTP MS1!

Originally from Kentucky and raised in southern Mississippi, Joshua brings a background in biomedical engineering from Purdue University and a passion for translational research. His work has focused on using polymeric collagen to address clinical challenges like diabetes, muscle injury, and vocal fold paralysis.

Outside the lab, you’ll find Joshua rock climbing 🧗, cooking up something delicious 🍳, hiking scenic trails 🥾, or kayaking across freshwater lakes 🛶. We’re excited to have him join the Indiana MSTP community!

08/25/2025

🎉 Welcome Michelle Lu, MSTP MS1! 🧠✨

Michelle is a Carmel, IN native and IU Bloomington alum, where she earned her BS in Neuroscience with a minor in Biology. During undergrad, she dove into research with the MODEL-AD lab, exploring how chronic and binge alcohol use affects tau pathology and brain inflammation in mouse models 🐭🧠. She also worked on a project using dry EEG to study human mood and cognition.

Now on the journey to becoming a physician-scientist, Michelle is passionate about tackling neurological and neurodegenerative diseases through research. When she’s not in the lab, you’ll find her sketching, experimenting in the kitchen 🍳, or curled up with a book from literally any genre 📚✨.

08/21/2025

🎉 Welcome, Ainslee Zou!

We’re thrilled to welcome Ainslee to the Indiana MSTP as part of the incoming MS1 class! Originally from Elkhart County, Indiana, Ainslee brings a vibrant mix of scientific curiosity and creative spirit. With a background in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry and Music from Goshen College, and an MPH from Johns Hopkins, she’s passionate about exploring the immune response to disease through clinical, biomedical, and public health lenses.

When she’s not diving into immunology, you’ll likely find her curled up with her cats, Alice and Greta, enjoying a good book, crafting, or playing video games. We’re so excited to have her in the MSTP community! 🧬🐾📚🎮

08/18/2025

🎉 Welcome Will Jacob, MSTP MS1!

Will grew up in Whitestown, Indiana and studied at Butler University in Indianapolis. During undergrad, he spent four years researching how the G protein-coupled receptor FSHR-1 regulates synaptic activity at the neuromuscular junction in C. elegans, focusing on inter-tissue signaling pathways that influence neurotransmitter release. 🧠🔬

He’s passionate about understanding how changes in synaptic signaling can lead to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and is eager to contribute to research aimed at developing new treatments. On the clinical side, Will gained valuable experience working as a medical assistant in a dermatology office, where he deepened his interest in patient care and the intersection of science and medicine. 🩺

Outside the lab, you’ll find him enjoying the outdoors—reading, fishing, and hiking with his dogs (and sometimes with friends and family too!). 🐾📚🎣🌲

08/15/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Caylin Billingsley, MSTP MS3, on her first-author manuscript published in the Journal of Virology — and selected as an Editor’s Pick!

🔗 https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jvi.00967-25

08/14/2025

🎉 Meet Katie Minton, one of the newest members of the Indiana MSTP! 🎉

Katie grew up in Indianapolis with her mom, dad, brother, two sisters, and two dachshunds—and she’s excited to continue her training in the city she calls home. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Biological Sciences, where she researched a novel therapeutic approach for pancreatic cancer.

After graduation, she returned to Indy to work in Dr. Misty Shields’ translational small cell lung cancer lab at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, focusing on biomarker identification and innovative treatments.

Outside of the lab, Katie enjoys music, outdoor adventures, reading novels, and solving sudoku puzzles 🧩📚🎶

Welcome to the MSTP family, Katie! 💙

08/11/2025

🎉 Welcome, Rebecca Collins! 🎉

We’re thrilled to officially welcome Rebecca Collins to the Indiana MSTP Class of MS1s! We first met Rebecca during our MSTP Undergraduate Summer Research Program after her sophomore year at IU, and it’s a joy to see her return to continue her journey toward becoming a physician-scientist.

Outside the lab and classroom, Rebecca enjoys road trips, hiking, and spending time with friends and her cat 🐾.

Welcome back, Rebecca—we’re so excited to have you in the MSTP community! 💙